Tampon applicator assembly

ABSTRACT

A tampon applicator assembly having inner and outer telescoped cardboard tubes and an absorbent fibrous tampon body within the outer tube so that the inner tube may expel the fibrous body out of the outer tube, with a cap or sack of film covering the end of the fibrous body protruding from the outer tube and preferably covering a part or all of the outer surface of the outer tube with weld flanges of the cap or sack being inside, whereby insertion of the assembly into a body cavity is facilitated.

United States Patent Bleuer Sept. 25, 1973 [54] TAMPON APPLICATORASSEMBLY 3.499,447 3/1970 Mattes et a1. 128/263 1. 2 3 [76] lnventor:Keith T. Bleuer, 1663 Wilshire Dr., 3'347'234 10/1967 128/ 6 N. E.,Rochester, Minn. 55901 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Mlchell [22] Filed:Dec. 1, 1969 A tampon applicator assembly having inner and outer [52:LS. Cll. 128/263 telescoped cardboard tubes and an absorbent fibrous Ctampon the Outer tube so the inner [5 1 Fle d of eal'cl'l tube may expelthe fibrous out of the Outer tube,

128/265 285 with a cap or sack of film covering the end of the fibrousbody protruding from the outer tube and prefera- [56] References and blycovering a part or all of the outer surface of the UNITED STATES PATENTSouter tube with weld flanges 0f the cap or sack being 2.413,480 12/1946Winter 128/263 inside, whereby insertion of the assembly into a body2,884,925 5/1959 Meynier, Jr. cavity is facilitated, 2,922,422 l/l960Beltzinger 2922,423 l/l960 Richard et al. 128/263 6 Claims, 13 DrawingFigures TAMPON APPLICATOR ASSEMBLY The invention relates to hygenicapplicator assemblies and more particularly to catamenial tamponassemblies.

Conventional catamenial tampon assemblies now on the market include anouter cylindrical tube of cardboard, an inner cylindrical tube ofcardboard telescoped into the outer tube and a fibrous fluid absorbentbody within one end of the outer tube so that the fibrous body may beexpelled from the outer tube by pushing the inner tube farther into theouter tube after the assembly has been positioned in the vagina. Such atampon assembly is positioned with some discomfort due to the abradingeffect of the sharp forward edge of the outer tube, and it is an objectof the present inven-' tion to provide an improved form of such anassembly in which this edge and more particularly the forward end of thefibrous material body are covered with a smooth film for facilitatingplacement of the assembly.

In a preferred form of the invention, the assembly includes telescopedinner and outer cardboard tubes and a fluid absorbent body in the outertube, with the fluid absorbent body having a rounded end protruding asubstantial distance from the end of the outer tube, and a cap of smoothfilm is fixed over the end of the outer tube and fibrous body so as tofacilitate the entrance of the assembly into the vagina. Preferably, thecap is a part of a film sack which covers the outer tube and is returnedinto the outer tube at its base end so as to be positioned between theinner andouter tubes and thereby held fixed with respect to the outertube; and lines of weakness, such as perforations, are provided in thecap so that the cap breaks and allows the fibrous body to be expelledfrom the outer tube after theassembly has been put in place within thevagina.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements andmethods to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove stated objects, and such other objects, as will be apparent fromthe following description of preferred forms of the invention andpreferred ways for making them, illustrated with reference to theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a catamenial tampon assemblyincorporating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tampon assembly;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the tampon assembly taken from line 33 of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a thin plastic film sack in flatcondition which provides the outer surface of a major portion of thetampon assembly;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the tampon assembly showing thefilm sack being placed over the rest of the tampon assembly;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification of theinvention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side view of another modification of theinvention;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of still anothermodification of the invention;

.FIG..1 l is an end view, corresponding to the end view of FIG. 3, of amodified sack that may be used inn lieu of that shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a knife that may be used to cutperforation lines in the sack shown in flat condition in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of anothermodification of the invention.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7 of the drawing, the illustrated tampon assemblymay be seen to comprise an outer tube 20, an inner tube 22 having aflanged opening 24 in one end, a cylindrical tampon body 26 of fibrousmaterial, and a string 28 fastened in the tampon body 26. The tamponbody has a rounded end 30 (which in cross section has a radius R); and asack 32 of thin, readily extensible, plastic film is disposed about therounded end 30 of the tampon body 26 and extends in contact with theexterior surface of the tube 20 for the length of the tube 20. The sack32 then has a return bend so that it extends upwardly for a shortdistance between the tubes 20 and 22 (see FIG. 2), effectively fixingthe sack 32 with respect to the tube 20.

The sack 32 is made up of two thicknesses 32a and 32b which are weldedtogether at the sides by straight welds 34 and 36 and at one end of eachthickness by a round weld 38. As may be seen particularly in FIG. 3, therounded end of the sack 32 has perforation lines 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and46 in it.

The tubes 20 and 22 may be of any suitable material which has somerigidity, such as paperboard, cardboard or plastic; and it will beobserved that the inner tube is telescoped into the outer tube 20; andthe inner tube 22 is slightly less in diameter than the outer tube 20,so that the tube 22 slides easily into the outer tube 20 with a part ofthe sack 32 lying between the tubes 20 and 22 as shown. The inner tube22 is flanged inwardly at its upper end, as the device is shown in FIG.2, so that the tube 22 as it moves inwardly or upwardly into the tube 20has a surface to surface contact with the tampon body 26 to move thetampon body 26 upwardly or outwardly with respect to the outer tube 20.

The tampon body 26 may be made of cellulosic fibres compressed into theform of a cylinder with the rounded end 30 to form a fluid absorbentmember. Other types of fibres may instead be used, or other fluidabsorbent materials, such as cellulose sponge or sponge of elastomericmaterial, may instead be used; but it is preferred that the tampon body26 have some substantial density and rigidity, since, as will bedescribed, the body 26 when propelled out of the tube 20 has thefunction of breaking the perforation lines 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 46 andthe body 26 also has the function of providing a rounded protruding endof the tampon assembly dilating the vagina due to its own rigidity andfacilitating entrance of the assembly into the vagina of the user. Justfor example, a tampon body 26 of suitable density and rigidity had aforeshortening of one thirty-second to one-sixteenth inch when placedlongitudinally in compression between two flat surfaces with a force ofone pound. In this case, the body 26 had a length of l inches, adiameter of nine-sixteenths inch, and the radius R of the rounded end 30was nine thirty-seconds inch. It will be understood that tampon bodies26 of other dimensions and rigidities may be used within the purview ofthe invention. The string 28 may be fastened to the body 26 in anysuitable way, as by sewing, and the string 28 normally extendsdownwardly through and out of the inner tube 22 as is shown in FIG. 2.

The sack 32 is of a thin, readily extensible plastic film, such aspolyethylene. In particular, a polyethylene film that is treated to havehigh slip characteristics is preferred; and a polyethylene film of thistype is Du- Pont 100 S-101 polyethylene, which is high slip and lowdensity, this film being made and sold by E. I. DuPont de Nemours andCo., Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware. The film is preferably quite thin,such as 0.0005 to 0.0015 inch; although other thicknesses are alsosatisfactory. The sack 32 is preferably made of the two parts 32a and32b, and the welds 34, 36 and 38 may be made by using heat on thethicknesses 32a and 32b. For this purpose, an electrically heated wiremay be applied to the thicknesses 32a and 32b in the shape of the welds34, 36 and 38 or a hot iron may be run on the film thicknesses 32a and32b in the form of the welds, for example. Such localized application ofheat may also be used for sensing and cutting out the parts 320 and 32bfrom sheets of the film.

The welds 34, 36 and 38 are preferably made when the two thicknesses offilm are in flat condition as shown in FIG. 4Z'Land in this case thewelds 34, 36 and 38 form outwardly extending flanges or ribs. Theassembly of outer tube 20 and tampon body 26 may be inserted into thesack 32 if the sack is opened up after the welds are so formed, but itis preferred that the flanges formed by the welds shall not be on theouter surface of the sack 32 in the assembled condition of the tamponassembly so that the flanges do not abrade the walls of the vagina whenthe assembly is inserted therein. For this reason, the sack 32 ispreferably turned inside out as it is put on the assembly of the tube 20and body 26, and this operation of applying the sack 32 on the assemblyof the body 26 and tube 30 is shown in FIG. 6 in which the sack is shownas being applied with the curved end 32c of the sack in contact with therounded end 30 of the body 26 and with the rest of the sack 32 beingdrawn downwardly on the outer surface of the tube 20 as the sack isbeing turned inside out. The flanges formed by the welds 34, 36 and 38are then inside the sack 32 as shown in FIG. 7.

The perforations 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 46 extend from the upper end ofthe tube 20, as seen in FIG. 2, for example, to the weld 38; and each ofthe perforations cut through the weld 38, so that the weld does notprovide an initial high resistance to breakage of the perforation, asthe tampon body 26 is expelled from the tube 20. The perforations 40 and44 are in alignment in the flat condition of the thicknesses 32a and 32bas seen in FIG. 4; and the same is true for the perforations 41 and 45as for the perforations 42 and 46.

The polyethylene film of the sack 32 is quite extensible, and althoughthe sack 32 is preferably formed from the two thicknesses 32a and 32b inflat condition as shown in FIG. 4, the sack 32 is so stretched inapplying it onto the assembly of the body 26 and tube 20 that the sack32 fits the tube 20 and the rounded end 30 of the tampon body 26 quitetightly and with no substantial wrinkles. If desired, the fit of thesack 32 on the tube 20 and body 26 can be made even tighter if theassembly with the sack 32 thereon is moved through a heated shrinktunnel or is otherwise heated in accordance with the teachings, forexample, in U. S. Pat. No. 3,441,129, issued on Apr. 29, 1969, to JohnH. Johansen and Walter H. Herman.

When the tampon assembly is used, it is inserted into the vagina withthe rounded end foremost. The tampon body 26 protrudes from the outertube 20 by a substantial distance, preferably for at least the distanceR," which is one-half the diameter of the body 26; and in addition thebody 26 is rounded on its end 30 and is relatively rigid in comparisonwith the film of the sack 32, so that the rounded end 32c of the sack 32provides a relatively rigid rounded end on the tampon assemblyfacilitating insertion into the vagina. It is understood that therounded end 320 of the sack 32 is directly in contact with the roundedend 30 of the body 26 and is supported thereby; and, therefore, eventhough the film of the sack 32 is thin, flexible and flimsy, itnevertheless provides a forward end on the tampon assembly that is quiterigid and rounded, substantially with the radius R. In addition, thepolyethylene film of the sack 32 is quite slippery, and it thus providesa smooth high slip, rounded end to the tampon assembly that facilitateseasy insertion, the rounded end being much less abrasive than would bethe case if the rounded end 30 of the body 26 were uncovered.

After the tampon device is fully inserted into the vagina, the outertube 20 is held in place, and the inner tube 22 is moved upwardly intothe outer tube 20 so as to expel the tampon body 26 from the upper endof the outer tube 20. The body 26, as it moves out of the tube 20 breaksthe perforations 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 46 so that the body 26 moves outof the sack 32 at the same time as the body 26 moves out of the tube 20.In this connection, it should be noted that the perforations 40, 41, 42,44, 45 and 46 are sufficiently strong so that they do not open as thetampon assembly is being inserted into the vagina, but they do breakunder manual force after full insertion. Since there is practically noforce tending to break the perforations during insertion into thevagina, no particular design of perforation need be used to obtain thisresult. The tubes 20 and 22, and the sack 32 fixed to the tube 20 byvirtue of the lower portion of the sack 32 lying between the tubes 20and 22, are then withdrawn from the vagina, leaving the tampon body 26in place, with the string 28 extending outwardly so as to act as awithdrawal cord.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8 is the same as that justdescribed except that the sack 32 is disposed within the outer tube 20for the full length of the tube 20, and the sack 32 is folded outwardlyat the lower end of the tube 20 to extend upwardly a short distance onthe exterior surface of the tube 20. The sack 32 is welded at 48 to theexterior surface of the outer tube 20.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9 is the same as the firstdescribed embodiment with respect to the upper rounded end of the tampondevice, but the sack 32 is shortened to that it amounts to only a cap 50of polyethylene located over the rounded end 30 of the body 26. The cap50 is welded at its peripheral edge 52 tothe exterior surface of thetube 20 for holding it in place on the tube 20.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 10 is the same as the FIG.9 embodiment; but, in the FIG. 10 form, the cap 54, corresponding to thecap 50, extends within the tube 20 and is welded at 56 to the insidesurface of the tube 20.

FIG. 11 shows a sack 32 without the perforations 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and46; and, instead of the perforations, the weld 58 of the rounded end ofthe sack 32 which to those skilled in the art. The weld 58 providessufficient strength so that the sack 32 with the weld 58 does notseparate when the tampon assembly is being inseted into the vagina, butunder manual force the weld 58 does separate similarly to the openingaction of the perforations 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 46 so as to allow thetampon body 26 to be expelled out of the tube 20 into the vagina.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 13 is the same as thefirst described embodiment but in the FIG. 13 embodiment the tampon body26 protrudes more than the distance R (one-half the diameter of the body26) from the end of the tube 20. In the FIG. 13 embodiment, the tamponbody 26 has an end 30a that decreases in cross section away from the endof the tube 20 and is generally of conical shape in cross section butwith a rounded tip.

FIG. 12 shows a knife 60 that may be used for making the perforations40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 46. The sharp edge of the knife 60 may be movedthrough the two thicknesses 32a and 32b of polyethylene film in the flatcondition of the film as it is shown in FIG. 4, and a single knifestroke may be used for making the two perforations 40 and 44, sincethese two perforations are in alignment in the FIG. 4 condition of thesack 32; and the same is true of the perforations 41 and 45 and theperforations 42 and 46. The two knife portions 60a and 60b are used formaking the inside slits of the perforations, and the longer knife 600 isused for making the outermost slits of the perforations as theperforations are seen in FIG. 4. The knife portion 60c is longer thanthe portions 60a and 60b to assure that the outermost slit of eachperforation goes completely through the weld 38, to its outermost edge,whereby the perforations are certain to open under manual force inoperation. The knife portions 600 and 60b may be of equal or unequallength.

Although polyethylene film is preferred, for the sack 32 and caps 50 and54, other films may be used, such as, films of a cellulose etherselected from the group of aliphatic and aromatic ethers; films havingethyl cellulose as the essential base constituent; or films of methylcellulose; flexible, highly plasticized cellulose acetate, formate andsimilar lower alkyl esters; vinylidene chloride or methyl methacrylate;rubber hydrochloride, as for example Pliofilm; or vinylite resin. Whenfilms are used for the sack 32 and caps 50 and 54 that are not bonded orwelded readily by heat; in these cases, suitable adhesives are used formaking the welds.

Advantageously, the sack 32 or caps 50 and 54, fitting unfolded andtightly over and supported by the rounded end 30 of the tampon body 26provide a relatively slick, rounded end for the tampon assembly allowingthe facile insertion of the device into the vagina while yet allowingthe easy ejection of the tampon body 26 from the outer tube 20 undermanual force with breakage of the perforations 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and 46or of the frangible weld 58. Although the sack 32 and caps 50 and 54 areshown as fully covering the end 30 of the tampon body 26, it is apparentthat alternately central circular portions may be cut out of these onthe central axis of the body 26 allowing only the outer peripheralsurface of the rounded body end 30 to be covered by film. The variousembodiments, it is apparent, are similar in that the end of the sack 32covering the rounded body end 30 constitutes a cap portion whichfunctions in the same way as the caps 50 and 54.

Although I have described the tampon assembly as being for catamenialuse, it is obvious that it also may have anal use. In this case, thetampon body 26 would be formed of a relatively rigid medicinal material.

I claim:

1. In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps whichcomprise, placing an inner tube into an outer tube and placing a body ofan hygenic medium into said outer tube so that the inner tube may movesaid body out of said outer tube when said inner tube is moved fartherinto said outer tube, providing a cap portion of a flexible film byfixing two plies of the film together at edges of the film plies leavingflanges of the film at said edges, providing a line or lines of weaknessin said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out so that saidflanges are inside and fixing the cap portion with respect to said outertube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance of theapplicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines of weaknessbreak to allow said body of hygenic medium to be expelled from saidouter tube by the action of said inner tube.

2. In a method of making a hygenic applicator assembly as set forth inclaim 1, said two film plies each being in the form of one-half of anelongate sack that is longer than the length of said outer tube so as toform such a sack, said film being of stretchable thermoplastic materialand said plies being heat welded together to form the sack with a flangeon the end and sides of the sack, the closed end of said sack formingsaid cap portion, the method including the method step of turning saidsack inside out so that said flanges of said cap portion and the rest ofsaid sack are inside and the method step of then applying said sack onsaid outer tube and over the end of said hygenic medium body whilestretching the film so as to provide a snug fit of the film on the outertube and hygenic medium body and the method step of fixing the sackadjacent the end of said outer tube remote from the closed end of thesack when installed on said outer tube so as to thereby fix said capportion with respect to said outer tube as aforesaid.

3. An hygenic application assembly comprising an outer tube, a body ofan hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding fromthe tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into saidouter tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube andadapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out ofsaid outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube,and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion ofsaid body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portionbeing of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surfaceand constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the samerounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and beingin contact'with and supported by said end portion of said body so thatsaid cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assemblyinto a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one ormore lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portiontears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body ofhygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of saidinner tube, said cap portion having a seam therein with a flange of saidflexible film running along said seam, said flange being located withinsaid cap portion and on the inner surface thereof in contact with saidhygenic medium body.

4. An hygenic applicator assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of anhygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from thetube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into saidouter tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube andadapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out ofsaid outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube,and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion ofsaid body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portionbeing of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surfaceand constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the samerounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and beingin contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so thatsaid cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assemblyinto a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one ormore lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portiontears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body ofhygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of saidinner tube, said cap portion being part of a snack of said film thatextends for at least the major part of the length of said outer tube andis fixed with respect to said outer tube at the end of the sack, saidsack having a longitudinal seam therein with a flange running along saidseam and the sack being disposed to encase said rounded end of saidhygenic medium body and said outer tube with said flange being locatedinside the sack and in contact with the hygenic medium body and saidouter tube.

5. An hygenic applicator assembly comprising a body of an hygenicmedium, and a tubular container for said hygenic medium body having aforward end through which the hygenic medium body may be thrust, saidforward end of said container being formed by a cap portion of flexiblefilm which covers and overlies the forward rounded end portion of saidhygenic medium body and which has the same shape and is supported bysaid forward end of said hygenic medium body so that the cap portionfacilitates the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human bodycavity, the outer surface of said cap portion being continuous andunpleated so as to facilitate the entrance of the hygenic medium bodyinto a human body cavity and the cap portion having a seam with a flangeof the flexible film running along the seam with the flange beinglocated within the cap portion and on its inner surface in contact withsaid hygenic medium body, said cap portion being provided with one ormore lines of weakness adapted to rupture the film of the cap portionwhen the hygenic medium body is thrust through said cap portion.

6. In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps whichcomprise, placing an inner plunger in telescoping relationship within anouter tube and placing a body of an hygenic medium into said outer tubeso that said plunger may move said hygenic medium body out of said outertube when said plunger is moved farther into said outer tube, providinga cap portion of a flexible film by seaming the film together leaving aflange of the film running along the seam, providing a line or lines ofweakness in said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out sothat said flange is inside and fixing the cap portion with respect tosaid outer tube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance ofthe applicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines ofweakness break to allow said body of hygenic medium to be expelled fromsaid outer tube by the action of said plunger. 1K

1. In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps which comprise, placing an inner tube into an outer tube and placing a body of an hygenic medium into said outer tube so that the inner tube may move said body out of said outer tube when said inner tube is moved farther into said outer tube, providing a cap portion of a flexible film by fixing two plies of the film together at edges of the film plies leaving flanges of the film at said edges, providing a line or lines of weakness in said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out so that said flanges are inside and fixing the cap portion with respect to said outer tube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines of weakness break to allow said Body of hygenic medium to be expelled from said outer tube by the action of said inner tube.
 2. In a method of making a hygenic applicator assembly as set forth in claim 1, said two film plies each being in the form of one-half of an elongate sack that is longer than the length of said outer tube so as to form such a sack, said film being of stretchable thermoplastic material and said plies being heat welded together to form the sack with a flange on the end and sides of the sack, the closed end of said sack forming said cap portion, the method including the method step of turning said sack inside out so that said flanges of said cap portion and the rest of said sack are inside and the method step of then applying said sack on said outer tube and over the end of said hygenic medium body while stretching the film so as to provide a snug fit of the film on the outer tube and hygenic medium body and the method step of fixing the sack adjacent the end of said outer tube remote from the closed end of the sack when installed on said outer tube so as to thereby fix said cap portion with respect to said outer tube as aforesaid.
 3. An hygenic application assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of an hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from the tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into said outer tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube and adapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out of said outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube, and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion of said body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portion being of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surface and constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the same rounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and being in contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so that said cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portion tears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body of hygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of said inner tube, said cap portion having a seam therein with a flange of said flexible film running along said seam, said flange being located within said cap portion and on the inner surface thereof in contact with said hygenic medium body.
 4. An hygenic applicator assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of an hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from the tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into said outer tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube and adapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out of said outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube, and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion of said body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portion being of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surface and constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the same rounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and being in contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so that said cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portion tears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body of hygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of said inner tube, said cap portion being part of a snack of said film that extends for at least the major part of the length of said outer tube and is fixed with respect to said outer tube at the end of the sack, said sack having a longitudinal seam therein with a flange running along said seam and the sack being disposed to encase said rounded end of said hygenic medium body and said outer tube with said flange being located inside the sack and in contact with the hygenic medium body and said outer tube.
 5. An hygenic applicator assembly comprising a body of an hygenic medium, and a tubular container for said hygenic medium body having a forward end through which the hygenic medium body may be thrust, said forward end of said container being formed by a cap portion of flexible film which covers and overlies the forward rounded end portion of said hygenic medium body and which has the same shape and is supported by said forward end of said hygenic medium body so that the cap portion facilitates the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human body cavity, the outer surface of said cap portion being continuous and unpleated so as to facilitate the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human body cavity and the cap portion having a seam with a flange of the flexible film running along the seam with the flange being located within the cap portion and on its inner surface in contact with said hygenic medium body, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness adapted to rupture the film of the cap portion when the hygenic medium body is thrust through said cap portion.
 6. In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps which comprise, placing an inner plunger in telescoping relationship within an outer tube and placing a body of an hygenic medium into said outer tube so that said plunger may move said hygenic medium body out of said outer tube when said plunger is moved farther into said outer tube, providing a cap portion of a flexible film by seaming the film together leaving a flange of the film running along the seam, providing a line or lines of weakness in said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out so that said flange is inside and fixing the cap portion with respect to said outer tube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines of weakness break to allow said body of hygenic medium to be expelled from said outer tube by the action of said plunger. 